Whatever you think about this editorial board, the views expressed here are absolutely, positively conservative — when it comes to board games.

This is especially true with that sacred icon of tabletop capitalism, Monopoly.

Yes, the new "Here and Now" version includes our very own Waikiki, but this update is an affront to our traditional values of recreational avarice in more ways than one.

Gone are the real power symbols: the tiny cannon, shoe and thimble. Instead we get, among other things, a tiny box of McDonald's fries (not super-sized), Motorola Razr cell phone and a Starbucks cup.

Besides being crassly commercial, Hasbro's replacement of our favorite kinis is like putting a veggie burger on a Loco Moco. What sacrilege!

But the real estate is where the shock comes in. Indiana Avenue, once an affordable square worth $220, is now replaced by Waikiki at a whopping $2.2. million — talk about inflation. And that's without a home, a hotel or an ABC store. It's little consolation that Waikiki is worth more than Houston or Miami's South Beach. We don't rate Boardwalk blue. That distinction goes to Times Square, at a pricey $4 million.

That's the real reason we're glad the classic version will still forever be available for us purists. We get affordable fun, and our lucky thimble, too.

Not so with the "Here and Now" with its high prices and Waikiki — that's more harsh reality than a fantasy board game fan can handle, thank you.